Restringing a Bow
by hightoppsmadness
Summary: Roy is in a time in his life where things are coming to a point. What he didn't expect was an Austrian meta-human to be there to help him in his times of need, and to still love him after all they had been through. Rated M for lemons and language.
1. Lying in a Jade filled bed

Re-stringing A Bow

A Fanfiction by HightoppsMadness

Inspired by Young Justice and DC Comics. Characters within DC Comics are not property of HightoppsMadness, though all original characters are. Thank you for choosing a HightoppsMadness fanfiction today. This is a sequel to the Batman: Under the Red Hood fanfiction 'Why Cardinals and Robins never sing together'.

He was 19 and stupid. She was 21 and intelligent, not to mention unbelievably attractive. Roy supposed it was one of those things that were never supposed to happen, and when they did, disaster struck. But he ignored the feeling of suspicion as Jade, or Cheshire in their professional setting, leaned against his apartments doorframe at three in the morning. She was in need of physical release, and he was high on heroin. Again. Why did all the shit in his life happen when he was high? He guessed it was because that was when he made all his worst decisions.

Roy hadn't been able to recall the first time he had seen the stuff. He could only remember the pain when it fully left his system, how desperate he would be to get his hands on it again. But he wasn't a druggie, he insisted. He only liked the feeling of happiness it brought. It had been giving him that feeling since he started working with LexCorp, when Luthor himself gave him his first fix. He had spilt half of it trying to get it in the syringe. He was apprehensive at first, but now he knew it was the only way to stay sane these days. But now he was at a crossroads. Wait until he was sober to decide, or decide what to do with Jade now?

He thought he heard a soft voice in the back of his head sing the right choice, to tell her to hit the road. That voice was beautiful in its own right. It had a high, reedy tone to it, and he liked to hear it, but he never really listened to it. Instead, he did the opposite, and it wailed in protest. Screw the voice, he wanted to feel more alive.

He laid Jade on the small bed he had in his crappy apartment that he rented ever since he left Oliver Queen's protection, and cleared his mind of the wailing voice telling him to wait, to stop, to please get off Jade. He needed it to shut up if he was going to screw Jade's brains out.

It had been the beginning of a whole new set of problems for him. If he had only listened to that reedy voice, he would know that he was going to meet someone very important the next day, and that he would not be able to have them if he did this. But he had made his bed, put Jade in it, and now he was going to lie in it, dammit.


	2. Better and better

"Are you sure that you won't stay with us?" Black Canary's soft voice pleaded discreetly to her.

"Nien, Ich kann nicht. Ich habe meine schwester hier, und mein job ist getan." her German was confusing to the English speaking people, but she had only realized it before the last word. "I'm sorry. No, I cannot. I have my sister here, and my job is

done. I have a new job lined up for me elsewhere. But you have my help whenever you need it."

Her strawberry blonde hair fluttered about her in the breeze coming from the open ground entrance. Her shapely figure was accentuated by the tight fitting long blue sweater she wore with black leggings and boots. Truly, Gloria Heinrich was a beauty, one that gave a good idea how her fifteen year old pink haired sister would look.

"Be good Jennifer, and I shall visit soon, alright?" her Austrian accent was still thick as could be, but her American born sister understood her clear as crystal.

"Alright, Gloria. Have fun with your new job. And be sure to find yourself someone to teach you better English, yours is terrible." Jenny stood in all her five foot four inch glory, clad in all purple to set off her bright pink hair and eyes. Those eyes were the only clue to their shared father, who was a powerful man, yes. But also an unfaithful one, evidenced by Jenny's existence. Gloria loved her to death, but sometimes she could be a handful. You try dealing with a teen with the power to bring about bad luck.

Gloria nodded in acknowledgment, and started for the transporter tubes they had arrived through. It was truly ingenious the way it worked, but she wouldn't bother even trying to decipher what processes had to happen for it to work. The teenagers waved goodbye, and Gloria spied a young red haired boy staring at Jenny. She smiled to herself. Perhaps this young hero group thing would be good for a juvenile detention child like Jenny. Perhaps she would find herself something wonderful.

Lexcorp was a large complex, and it had taken Gloria a lot to get through all the security, especially when the metal detectors went off on the metal plate she had on her right femur. Damn aluminum. When she finally got to where she was supposed to be, she was five minutes late. It was alright. The people she was supposed to see were still not here. A woman in an ill-fitting business suit helped her into her outfit. After all, being a lingerie model sometimes meant getting into some really weird shit.

The leather and lace were in place, and Gloria had to admit, it wasn't awful; it maintained modesty while being uniquely sexy. And sexy is what Gloria did best. That was why she was on the cover of every Austrian XXX magazine in print the last year and a half, when she was seventeen. Being in Europe had its advantages in not being barred from the business because of age.

For the first time in a long time, she felt nervous. Like something important was supposed to happen. She mentally slapped herself. Of course something important was happening today. She was going to be the face of the new Lexcorp Lingerie line, Nicely Naughty.

The suit lady came back, and Gloria suddenly felt the need for a translator, her English was so fast. She just followed the lady's hand gestures and made for the curtain. Hopefully she wouldn't make a fool of herself, as she heard the words 'Mr. Luthor' and 'watching' together, ensuring she had her CEOs attention.

The curtain opened, and Gloria gave her best foot forward approach, her sexiest expression on, her sway in her hips visible, as usual, but with a hint of meaning behind it. Only as she stopped at the end of the mini stage set up did she notice the attractive red haired man in the business suit and sunglasses sitting next to the bald man known as Mr. Luthor.

"So why am I here today, Luthor?" Roy huffed in impatience. "You know today is my day off."

"You're here today, Mr. Arrow, to see one of my newest masterpieces in the making. Please, sit." Lex motioned towards the two chairs set up in front of a small stage.

Roy was suspicious, but still interested, so he did as he was told for Lex to go on.

"As you know, Lexcorp is involved in many businesses, and as of late I had been neglecting a few of them. But no more. Today, I'm revealing the new face of Lexcorp's lingerie line, Nicely Naughty. I brought in someone guaranteed to give it a good look. I brought in someone I think just about everyone will want to invest in. I brought in," Lex took in a breath to add suspense. Sometimes the man could be an outrageous drama queen. "Gloria Heinrich, the Austrian sex symbol."

Roy racked his brain for a familiar link to the name, and recalled a small article in the paper not to long ago. "She recently bailed her sister out of Juvie, right? That pink haired thief?"

"Yes, but she did so out of the kindness of her heart. Technically, that 'pink haired thief' is her half sister, but no matter. At least you know her name." Lex turned to his assistant, a homely woman in a very ugly suit. "Bring her in for us, will you, Jean?"

"Yes, Mr. Luthor." Jean went inside the curtain a moment, and the curtains parted to reveal the most attractive woman Roy had ever seen.

She had strawberry blonde hair, which had some kind of hairpin in it to keep it out of her face, and the away of her hips was enticing. The lingerie was hideous in Roy's opinion, but he figured that if anyone could look good in it, that person would be her. She posed at the end of the stage, and her heavy lidded eyes swept across the room, landing on him. He suddenly felt his sunglasses weren't enough to hide his identity from her. It felt as if she could pick him apart with a glance.

Lex gave a low chuckle, and Roy started. "She is a looker, isn't she, Mr. Arrow? Tonight I'm going to announce our partnership, and from there she is on her own. She will need a bodyguard, Arrow, which is why you are here."

"So I'm her lackey now?" Roy incredulously asked. The nerve!

"Only for now. We have yet to find her one that hasn't bought one of her magazines and dreamed of fondling her. She is very specific that she wants someone who doesn't know who she is for this job. That's why she's in America, Arrow. Please understand that this is for the safety of this woman." Damn. He hit Roy's soft spot. As a hero, Roy had an obligation to protect those who needed it, and this woman would need it. At least for now.

"Fine. But that means she has to keep quiet about where she lives, who she's with, and what she sees around me. I'm not taking her to my 'second job.'" Roy referenced the fact that every night he would be doing dangerous things, and she would have to stay at his place to make sure she's safe. He internally sighed. This meant he had to hide all of his drugs.

"That's fine. But she must be safe. That's the only thing she asked for specifically in her contract." Lex steepled his fingers and turned to the young woman.

"Sprechen Sie Englisch?" Lex asked her, and she nodded. "Gut."

"I am Gloria Heinrich. I am happy to meet you...?" her accent was thick, but acceptable.

"Call me Red Arrow here." Roy held out his hand, and she shook it weakly. Her eyes shot open wide, and her hair took on a more reddish hue. Roy took note of the pink ring in the center of her chocolate brown irises widening.

"You are an archer. A very talented archer, Red Arrow." her gaze pierced him once more, and a blush caught aflame on Roy's cheeks.

"Thanks, I guess. But how could you possibly know that without seeing me in action?" Roy arched a brow above his sunglasses.

"My talent is to find other people's talents. But don't tell Mr. Luthor. I don't want to be an experiment for him." she whispered to him, and he nodded with understanding. He wouldn't want to be prodded either.

"So, Luthor, when can she leave?" Roy asked over his shoulder, helping Gloria down from the stage.

"As soon as she changes into her clothes. This stuff can't be seen outside of the building until the show next year. Until then, she's working as a consultant, a designer, and most importantly, your ward. She has to be with you at all times." Lex leaned forward in his chair and arched a brow. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"No, sir." Roy sighed. This job keeps getting better and better.


	3. Everyone has their own vice to use

That night began a series of weird happenings. Over the next few weeks, nothing really happened between the two of them. They interacted, and had their own lives to attend to. Red Arrow would patrol the city at night, and she would stay home, and he would come home to find her asleep on his bed. He would sleep on the couch after shooting up. She never knew a thing. It was a month before anything seriously weird happened, though.

Roy changed into his official Red Arrow costume, and noticed Gloria in the kitchen. He was hungry and mildly curious, so he investigated.

"What in the world do you think you're doing?" Roy watched her stare at the oven.

"Waiting for the timer to go off, Herr Arrow. The chicken is almost done." she looked at him, and he felt like an idiot. Of course she was cooking, what else required someone to stare at an oven? He had the uncanny ability to be unbelievably stupid around her, and it unnerved him. What happened to his watertight charm that got him laid every other night? It was out the window when it came to this strawberry blonde vixen.

She pulled out the chicken and set on a heat pad set on the counter. He reached for the handle, and she slapped it away. "It needs to cool off, Herr Arrow." she chuckled at his eagerness. It wasn't often she entertained for others, but she really didn't need to for this man. He seemed to like her anyway, without having to worry about seduction. Just the way she wanted it. "Herr Arrow?"

"Yes?" he looked up at her from the counter. "Something you need?"

"Yes, Herr Arrow. I need to get to my night job, so could you just tell Herr Luthor I stayed in my pen like a good model?" she sounded bitter at the end of the question, and it baffled Roy.

"I thought you had me here for protection. Did Luthor make you take a bodyguard?" Roy didn't like the nervous look in her chocolate eyes.

"I don't need help. I've taken very good care of myself in Austria, I see that crime is no different here, and I have a very good way to keep myself safe." she insisted. He had no idea what that way would be, but if it meant that he was free to see what crime was afoot tonight, and perhaps a chance to shoot himself up, he was fine with it.

"Alright. I'll cover for you. If I show in the Crime section of the news, I'll just say you fell asleep early." he nodded, and she broke out a beautiful smile.

"Thank you! You will not regret it!" she practically skipped out the door. Was he really that boring to her?

The city used to be a great place to be. Granted, the crime rates were never as bad as Gotham, but they would never be as low as Central City and Coast City. Star City was Roy's home, it was where he and Oliver would clean up crime together, where he put his archery skills to the test. But he wasn't in Star City. He was stuck in Metropolis, and that fact silently killed Roy inside. This place, Superman's stomping ground, was also dirty. It had an underbelly that not even the man of steel dealt with. He kept his attentions on things that didn't involve those 'rock-and-a-hard-place' deals, the villains killing other villains, and certainly not the drug induced orgies. That was where Roy came in.

He would figure out those deals, arrest the surviving villain, and sometimes busted those orgies apart. When he wasn't involved with them himself. But today, crime was boringly absent. So he decided to find a place that was a bit more grungy. The hero went to a seedy strip club under the overpasses that made up Metropolis's roadways. It was not a place you stopped at on the highway.

He contemplated leaving, but something pulled him in there. He couldn't place a name on it. Curiosity? Lust? Stupidity? Nothing seemed to fit. He entered, and folded his bow up, slipping in into one of his many holsters on his person. No one seemed to notice him. Except one reporter with the bluest eyes he had ever seen. He seemed familiar, but Roy ignored it. Probably wrote some article he liked.

The crowd was gathering near the stage, and the stench of lust, testosterone, alcohol, and heroin. He knew those scents very well. He wanted a fix, and he needed it soon. Pretty soon the withdrawal symptoms would start, and he needed to feel the sweet joy of the imported drug before that happened. He didn't have a problem, it was just a way of staying on top of the stress in his life. He could stop any time he wanted. He just didn't want to stop yet.

The song changed, and Roy turned his attention to the stage. What he saw shocked him and shook him to his core. This was what her 'night job' was?

Gloria was wearing a trashy thong and bra, covered in sequins and glitter, the same glitter that was caked in her beautiful hair, ruining it. Thick makeup disguised her natural beauty. She made herself look like a cheap whore using the very tools most cheap whores used to look like a parody of her. Her long, pale legs wrapped around the pole on the stage, showing off the cheetah print pumps she had on. Those wide hips of hers made slow circles as she spin around the pole, all in time to the slow beginning to the song. He knew the song, it was one he sometimes got high to. He suddenly didn't like it so much. He was supposed to be a hero, and he couldn't even keep the one woman he was hired to protect off the streets. He couldn't even keep himself off the streets. An overwhelming sense of failure settled over him, and he decided he had to first fix her, then fix himself. He would try to fix her. At least that.

Her facial expression was that of lust, though the look in her eyes screamed boredom and resignation to do her duty, though why she felt she had to do this, he had no idea. She began to crawl across the stage, receiving ones and fives that were tucked into the string of her thong. Roy was disgusted, not at her, but at the men who called out to her, solicited her for sex, and at himself for being such a hypocrite. Wasn't he coming in here for the same thing? He felt ashamed, but put it aside for a moment. He had to get her out of here.

Stepping to the front of the crowd, he tucked a ten into the side of her bra. She turned her bored gaze onto him, and her eyes widened.

"Oh," she gasped in shame. "I... I need to get out of this first. Meet me backstage?"

He nodded, and she signaled to the DJ that she was done here. He gave her the thumbs up and changed the song while she strutted off stage. He counted to thirty, then followed after her, careful to avoid attention. Though, he didn't doubt that no one would notice if he busted down the door, arrows flying, because the next girl to step on, who had a bad hangover, was undulating her body, earning her all the attention.

He found her door easily enough. Her bra was hanging on the handle by the straps. Roy knocked and quietly entered to find her slipping on a plain white bra to cover her glittery pale breasts. He wished he had seen them in a much more romantic setting, and regretted coming here.

"We'll talk about this later." she gave him a look that said she would eat fire before she spoke about this here.

"Understood. But there will be a talk. Count on it." he took her now fully clothed arm. "But you need to get to bed. You have a photo shoot tomorrow, and I don't want to explain this to Luthor."

"Thank you for caring enough," she whispered as they snuck out the back door.

"I'm just covering my own ass here." he denied it. He didn't deserve her gratitude. He hadn't been paying attention to her over the last few hours. Who knew what could have enticed her to do this. He hoped she would quit, and he would figure out why the thought of another man touching her took the breath right out of him.

She would be the death of him. That much was for sure.


	4. Herr Arrow to Roy

Author's note: This chapter is dedicated to my new second cousin, Noah, who was born at 6 o'clock on Christmas Eve. Though it is definately not something I would read to him... Anyways, here is chapter four!

* * *

><p>True to his word, Roy avoided talking to Gloria about the night's discovery until the next day. She was modeling the first batch of designs of the Nicely Naughty series. They were pretty and white, covered in lace, chiffon, ribbons, and feathers. Roy was allowed to watch the whole process, and enjoyed it. She was so very pretty in the lingerie she posed in. Much better than the disgusting things she was wearing last night.<p>

There was a particularly intricate piece she was wearing, and it was the last outfit she was modeling that day. Roy really liked that one. It had small angel wings on the back, and white feathers on the bottom hem. The fabric was a gossamer white fabric, and he could see the lacy boy shorts worn under them. His own pants became a bit tighter thinking about how nice it would be if she would wear them just for him at home. Roy had to yank his thoughts away from that dark corner in his mind. It would be embarrassing if the photographer saw it, or even worse, Gloria saw it. The Red Arrow suit he wore today, and just about every day, to work was kevlar infused spandex, and the pants, while black and were more loose, would not hide an erection, should it make itself known.

The photographer took the last snapshot, and sent her off to get back in her clothes. Gloria hopped off the feathery monstrosity she was perched on and took Roy's hand. He wasn't used to her interacting with him on the job, and his confused look earned him a chuckle from the rest of the crew and security team.

She took him back to her dressing room and closed the door behind them. Gloria was beautiful, Roy knew, but she was also bold, and her confident demeanor was shattered at the moment. She took in a shuddering breath and turned to face him.

"You know I'm a stripper now." she calmly stated. It wasn't a question; there was no need for it to be one.

"I want to know why. You earn plenty doing this." Roy gestured at the outfits hung on the rack next to him. "Why would you be doing something so... so.."

"So dirty? So wrong? So disgusting?" she placed a fist on her hip and sneered at him. "Herr Arrow, I've been a model for only a little while. How do you think I gained attention in the modeling business? I was a stripper. The laws in Europe are a lot easier to navigate than that of America's. I did it so I could live. I was already destitute. My good looks earned me a ticket out of there. But that doesn't mean I can leave it." she looked at the cute white sling backs on her feet. "It's what I know. It's what I am. I can't stop it. Not anymore than you can stop taking heroin."

"Yes you- what?" he voice dropped an octave from shock and anger. "How do you know about that?"

"You think I cannot see the symptoms of a heroin addict?" she grew incredulous. "Heroin was the reason my father left my mother. Heroin is the reason I came from the dirty streets! Heroin is the reason I'm like this, this pathetic piece of garbage!" she glared at him with a gaze that made him truly fear her. He feared her more than any villain he had ever faced. "Heroin ruined me, and now it's ruining you, but the difference is that you do it to yourself. You disgust me. Which is why I will not stop stripping until you start coming off the heroin. I never want to see another needle in that apartment. I never want to see another gram of that disgusting shit that ruins every life it comes in contact with."

Roy stood stock still, the shock crashing down on him in waves. She knew. She had always known. And she hated him for it. He was doing exactly what her mother had done, and was using the vice that made her destitute. Made her what she was now. Afraid. Hurt. Self hatred radiated from his core.

"You're not garbage. Know that. Never forget it." Roy narrowed his eyes, crinkling the mask around them. "I know that sorry won't fix it. So I won't say it. Instead, we'll help each other out of this." He approached her step by step, slowly making his way to her. If he backed out now, it would never happen. "I'll stop using, if you help me with the withdrawals. That's the one thing I'm scared about quitting. I can't do it if there's no one there to help me. And after that, I'll keep you out of the strip clubs." he wrapped his strong arms around her in a way that kept either one of them from falling apart.

"I'm scared, Herr Arrow. What if the city needs us, and we are not there?"

Her question struck Roy. Not only because of her admittance of fear, but the use of the word 'us'. "What do you mean, 'us'?"

"Herr Arrow, I've not been as truthful as I should be. After all, you are the one I've been stealing abilities from." she looked at him from under her long lashes.

"When I mentioned 'finding talents,' I didn't bother to tell you that after I find them, I borrow the abilities. That's why I have the pink ring in my eyes. It is a physical indication of my father's ability to take powers from other meta humans and use them against them. He was a good man though, and didn't use the ability. My half sister has much stronger physical indicators with her pink eyes and hair. But I digress. After you would pass out in your heroin induced euphoria, I would touch your arm or face, and take the archery talent, along with your bow, and go thrill seeking. I apologize."

He looked at her in shock, trying to take in this information. He had been protecting a meta human, a human with very dangerous abilities. She would not be able to keep these talents a secret much longer while in the public eye. Not on her own. He would have to get her something to hide her identity, but that was not an issue for today. Roy looked at her expectant eyes and realized she wanted his answer to punish her.

"You're forgiven. If you want to do that, just ask me. As long as you're not killing people, it's fine. I'll get you your own bow, and you can come out with me sometime. But don't hide that from me. I'm supposed to be guarding you, not letting you run wild on the streets of Metropolis."

Her eyes lit up in joy and surprise. "Yes, Herr Arrow."

"Also," he looked at her very carefully, judging her character. "When Luthor's not around, call me Roy."

"Yes... Roy." she tested the name on her tongue, and decided it fit him. He looked like a Roy, with his spiked up red hair and chiseled features. A blush crossed her pretty face, covering the light freckles dusting the bridge of her nose.


	5. Ich bin heir, meine Liebe Ich bin heir

That night, Gloria helped Roy find all of the needles in the apartment.

"How do you even keep up with where all of them are? They are in every crevice of this place!" she exclaimed, pulling one from a curtain rod.

"I know. That's how I kept track. If it looks like it can hold a needle, there is probably one there." Roy dumped a fistful of them into a bio-hazard bin they borrowed from a local hospital. "Now to get rid of the drugs. The hard part."

"It's too late to back out, I won't let you," Gloria pulled a small bag from under the DVD player. "You hid these just as well. By the way, how could you afford heroin? That stuff isn't cheap here."

"I'm pretty wealthy, I just don't spend it in the right places I guess." Roy shrugged, pulling two bags out from under the couch. "There's another under the bed, if you could get that one."

"I got rid of that one two weeks ago after finding it." Gloria replied. It struck him how calmly she took this.

"So how are you handling this all so well?" he couldn't help but indulge his curiosity.

She shrugged and dumped the two kilos of raw heroin into the paper sack she opened. "I did the same thing after my mother told me to hide her drugs several times, when the police would do searches. When they had warrants. My mother was not a very good one, so I lived with a councilor. That's why I understand it all so well. It is usual for me, but I am still concerned. This is the easy part. It aches now, doesn't it?"

He looked at the floor in front of him, ashamed. "Yeah. It's dull, but it's there."

"Soon, it will become a cramp here and there. A few hours later, pure agony. You've been doing this for years, built up a tolerance, upped your dosage, and almost overdosed for so long, that your symptoms are something to be feared. It's amazing that you aren't already on the floor, crying." her factual manner wasn't helping him stay calm. "This will go on for a few weeks, and you will experience other unpleasantries, but you will hopefully survive. It is better to die sober, than to never realize you are dead, like my mother."

"You know so much about this. You've suffered so much. How do you go on?" Roy looked at her in a new light.

"Because if I don't, I'll end up like the councilor, and have myself taken away by the asylum. And I will not load a gun with my goodbyes to end this. There will be no one to mourn me, but that does not mean that I have no one to live for. Now I have you," she smiled weakly at him.

This must have been killing her inside, watching him slowly kill himself. He was glad he was kicking this habit. Maybe he could give her a better smile when he stopped this damned aching.

Just as she had predicted, it was only a matter of hours before he lost the ability to form proper thoughts, as the pain was so intense. He would twist in agony, and quietly moaned. She would sit next to his spasming body, keeping his head in her lap. Gloria would brush his hair out of his sweaty face, and canceled all of her appearances for the next month, saying it was a family emergency. Luthor didn't understand, but there wasn't much he could do.

"Glor...ia..." Roy strained to use his voice.

"What do you need, meine liebe?" she kept her voice low and soothing.

"Need... Glori...a.." he whimpered, and she took a cold damp washcloth to his forehead.

"I'm here, meine Liebe, Ich bin heir." she took to her Germanic language whenever she was soothing him, and he didn't understand her. Not like he could if she were speaking any other language. He couldn't articulate what he wanted, but he was satisfied with what she would give him.

Occasionally, she would use a wet sponge and attempt to bathe him, and she would calmly dispel any paranoia he had.

"They'll know that I'm weak. The crime rates will shoot up. I have to go, I have to get out of here." Roy would groan.

"No, you don't. Superman runs this city, he'll take care of it. Just heal yourself for now." Gloria stroked his dirty hair and shushed him.

The pain wasn't the worst of it. When the paranoia was gone, the knowledge of having the lack of dignity disturbed Roy. Gloria had to help him change his sweaty, dirty clothes, and helped him when he was vomiting, and sometimes dry heaving. She would give him tissues for all the sneezing he had, and blankets for the chills. She would sing to him old Austrian lullabies to help him stay calm. She was everything he needed and more.

Only someone who was truly loving would deal with so much crap from one person. He felt he didn't deserve her, and probably never would. But she stayed with him, all through it, and kept praying quietly for him.

It took him three weeks to be able to function correctly. It took him two more to stop feeling the dull ache from the symptoms finally leaving. He was surprised. Roy had done some research once, and for someone as forgone as he was, it should have taken him about two months to be able to pick himself off the floor. He was still crawling in his skin, but it was bearable. Gloria had been so good about all this, and he wouldn't put her in this situation again.


	6. Their 'relationship', 'Their' Lian

Work resumed as usual, and the photo shoots were more relaxed. He was more alert, but was also able to concentrate on more than one thing again. He noticed that the rest of the security team would snicker at his easy going stance, and once the photographer got to work with Gloria, he went over to investigate.

"What the hell, guys? What's with all the laughs?" his casual annoyance wasn't very normal, so the lot started cracking up once more.

"It's you, Red." Joey, one of the regular security guards, replied. Joey was one of the guards Roy was comfortable with, and it was usual for them to idly chat while Gloria was at a shoot.

"What do you mean?" his patience was wearing thin. "I'm just fine."

"That's just it, Red Arrow. You're too relaxed. Especially around Ms. Gloria. Catch my drift?" Joey waggled his brows at Roy, and it dawned on him.

"Oh. Oh, no, we're not sleeping together." Roy backed up, shaking his head.

"But wouldn't you if you had the chance? I mean, just look at her!" Joey gestured toward the lovely subject of their conversation. "Those long legs, that shiny, pretty hair, those blue eyes-"

"Brown." Roy stated. "Her eyes are brown with a pink ring."

"Yeah, whatever. The point is, she's outrageously hot. And you're a man. Don't you want a piece of that?" Joey elbowed him suggestively. "I know I do."

"Hey. Gloria is not just a piece of meat. She's a woman, with thoughts, feelings, wants and needs. You can't just go up to her and try to get laid. That's going to get you nowhere. She's not a one-night-stand kind of girl. At least she's not one now. Anyway, she's not looking for that. She wants a guy who will take care of her." As Roy said this, he realized that was what he wanted to do. He wanted to care for her. He wondered why that was. Sure, she had cared for him during his time of need, but what about Jade? He hadn't seen her for almost an entire year. Christmas was on its way, when the runway show would take place, and he still didn't know where she was.

Gloria clicked her heels on the tile walking towards the group and looped an arm around his. The men chuckled as he blushed, and Gloria tugged him towards the dressing room to help her change.

"Yeah. Sure. 'Haven't slept together' my ass," Joey rolled his eyes. He knew a relationship when he saw one.

Christmas was only a few hours away. Under the small tree Roy had insisted on getting sat two gifts. Gloria wasn't a religious person, and he didn't really like holidays, but he was okay with this one. It reminded him of the importance of family. He really needed to call Oliver and apologize for being so stubborn, but his pride had stopped him every time he tried. Gloria insisted they had to visit her sister on Christmas, and a colorful package sat by the door for Gloria to give her.

Gloria was sitting on the couch, sipping hot chocolate she had made in the cheap microwave they bought. Funny enough, the longer she stayed in his apartment, the more things were labeled as 'their' instead of 'his' or 'hers'. They simply shared everything. A knock on the door shook Roy away from the thought.

"Hello?" Roy smiled as he opened the door, and frowned when his blue eyes rested on Jade, holding what appeared to be a blanket.

"Hey, Roy." Jade gave him her sexy smile, but it didn't have as much of an effect than she would have liked. His frown was adamant on staying on his face.

"What do you want?" Roy demanded. "I've got company."

"Roy, who is that?" Gloria called from the couch. "Someone we know?"

"Just an old acquaintance," Roy called back.

"Company indeed. 'Acquaintance'? Roy, I'm hurt." Jade mocked him and gave him the blanket. Inside was an infant, and surprise washed over Roy. "She's yours. Her name is Lian, she's two months old, and she is lactose intolerant."

"Wait, what? What's going on? How did this happen?" Roy was more than confused. He didn't even remember sleeping with her, so how could this exist?

"You know how that happened. I'm leaving her with you. You are clean now, right? No drugs? Good," she didn't wait for him to answer. "Let your new girlfriend help you take care of our mistake. I'll see you in combat."

As she strutted away, Roy took the child inside and closed the door behind them. Gloria looked up from her hot chocolate at him with matching chocolate eyes.

"Is everything alright?" Gloria tilted her head to the side, and looked at the blanket. "What's that?"

"It's... She's... my kid." Roy had trouble forming the sentence. How was he going to do this? He could barely take care of himself, and now he had a child?

"Ah. Alright then, lets get a crib ready, or at least somewhere for her to sleep." Gloria took the news much better than he expected. She took the child from his arms and cradled her in her own. "Was ist mein kleines Mädchen?"

"Jade said her name is Lian. Lian Harper." Roy replied shakily. He needed something to bring him around. But a relapse was not an option. Perhaps sleep would bring a good feeling to this. He had been up for the last thirty two hours...

"Lian. Sweet music to my ears." Gloria cooed and snuggled the child closer to her. Roy found it curious that she was handling the baby so well. Then it occurred to him. Perhaps she had not thought she was able to start a family herself? He thought back through every conversation they had over the past year. She had never mentioned any boyfriend, husband, lover, not even a casual partner. She never mentioned if she was having any trouble concerning her... time, and she never talked about kids, not counting her sister, who she had supported financially through working with U.S. Customs connections.

"Gloria..." Roy didn't know how to bring it up. "Have you never thought about being a mother yourself?"

"Oh, I had on several occasions." Gloria smiled at the babe in her arms. "I had gone to a doctor to see if I could. The results said it would be extremely difficult. That's why I went along and became a model. I would never have a time I would have to stop so I could be a mother. But, if you don't mind... I... I would like..." she looked up at him, taking in his contemplative look. "I would like to help you take care of Lian. If I can't have my own, could I help you with yours?"

The thought had come to him, but he didn't expect her to come to the same conclusion. "If that's what you want. To be honest, I never thought about having kids. It would be good to have some help. I don't know the first thing about children." he admitted it with a sigh.

A smile broke across her face. "That's fine. With my help, this child will be well cared for by two, and will never be in want of a mother, that is for sure. I do not mind that it is not mine by blood. She will be mine by love." with that, she handed him the child and pulled on her snow boots and scarf.

"Where are you going?" Roy looked at her curiously, as if the answer was not obvious.

"The store, silly." she rolled her eyes. "Lian is going to need diapers, formula, blankets, a crib, a carseat, bottles, pajamas, baby shampoo, and a large number of other things. Come on, we need to get these things as soon as possible." she thought for a moment. "And a Christmas present. We need to get her one of those. She can pick it out when we get there."


	7. zu meinen lieblings mann

Christmas was a sleepless affair. After gathering all the items necessary to care for a child, Lian wouldn't sleep peacefully. Gloria wound up rocking her all night, and Roy was busy figuring out how to build a crib. If the construction of her things were any indication of how raising a child would be, things were going to be tough on the two of them.

After Lian finally went to sleep, they collapsed on the bed together, not bothering to change, or decide who would sleep on the couch. It was the first night the bed became 'theirs', adding to the list of 'their' things.

They got about four hours of sleep, only to be woken up by the sunlight filtering through the blinds. Roy opened them to reveal a white wonderland that was once Metropolis. Gloria took a still sleeping Lian into the living room to fetch some blankets, and Roy made a batch of much needed coffee. As they sipped the french vanilla brew, Roy opened his present first, revealing a waterproof Rolex. It was engraved 'zu meinen Lieblings-mann, Ich liebe dich, Gloria.' It was officially his favorite gift, not just because of its nice, yet conservative design, but the engraving was something of German he could actually read. 'To my favorite man, I love you, Gloria.'

Her gift was a locket in the shape of a rose quartz heart, which opened to an engraving in Navajo saying how much he loved her. They helped the infant Lian open the wrappings of her own gift to give her a plush puppy with large, cheerful eyes.

"I guess we became a family without meaning to," Roy looked at her.

"I guess we did." Gloria smiled back at him.

They sat still for a moment, then slowly came together in a chaste kiss that was sweeter than honey and softer than silk. It only lasted for a moment, but it was the best kiss Roy could ever hope to have. Lian giggled, and they turned their attention back to the child.

"We have to visit my sister Jenny." Gloria picked Lian up and began to check her diaper. "Can you pack the diaper bag? I've got to change her."

"Sure. Meet you at the front door in ten. We have to get ready too."

They walked down the quiet back street of Metropolis to an abandoned telephone booth.

"Where does your sister live again?" Roy hesitated to ask, afraid of the answer.

"Mount Justice. She is known as Jinx in the meta human community. She brings bad luck to those who cross her path." Gloria hefted the car seat/carrier holding Lian into the booth and disappeared through the transport system the Justice League had placed there so many years ago.

The answer was just as he feared. He was going to be in contact with family. A sigh escaped his lips as he followed after him. Christmas wasn't Christmas until somebody cries.

Roy arrived to the sounds of girly squealing and visions of his old friends in a circle around Gloria.

"She's so cute!" Megan squeaked, and Gloria shushed her.

"Lian's sleeping, please do not wake her," she set the carrier down softly and crouched next to it. A pink haired girl, who Roy assumed was Jenny, squatted down next to her.

"Is it yours, or did you adopt?" Jenny gave her a look that bordered on suspicion.

"Neither. The child is Ro-Red Arrow's. I am helping him care for her." she answered, stumbling over the alias she hadn't had to use for Roy in months.

"And I thank her for that," Roy chimed in, stepping up to the group slowly. "Which one of these children is Jenny?"

"That would be me." the pink haired girl stood. "Thank you for taking care of my older sister."

"She's been helping me with the crime rates for months now. I should be thanking her every day. Your sister's a Godsend." Roy looked at Gloria with a gaze so soft, the snuggle bear would look like a porcupine. She returned it with just as much love.

"So, Speedy, how are things working for Luthor?" Kid Flash put his arm lazily around Jenny's shoulders. So the kid finally got the balls to get a girlfriend.

"It's Red Arrow. And things are fine. I work as a bodyguard for this really amazing model. You should meet her, she's got the best personality, and that smile- it's to die for."

"Stop flirting with me through the children, you cad," Gloria teased, blushing from the compliments.

"Anyone want to tell me why we have guests?" Black Canary entered the common room they had been occupying, and gasped. "Roy?"

"Oh, so they know your real name," Gloria said quietly as she brought Lian's carrier over to the table.

"Hey, Dinah. Long time, no see," Roy tried to make light of the situation. He hadn't seen Dinah since he left Oliver. He felt bad; Dinah had always been there for him. "I'm sorry I haven't visited. I've just been busy is all."

"I see that." Dinah looked over to the carrier. "Is this the Lian I'm hearing so much about? The team seems to really like her." she took note of the gentle way Conner was holding her, and the way Artemis was using a feather to entertain her.

"Yeah. Found out she existed just yesterday. Gloria's been really great with this. She helped pull this all together." Roy looked to his new girlfriend. "She's the wind beneath my wings."

"That's when you know she's the one," Dinah whispered to him, and looked to the group of teenagers trying to gain the attentions of the small infant. "And she is quite the catch. Beautiful, smart, strong, and even willing to take care of your kid."

"She can't have her own, and she really wants one. I think she's just making due with what is available." Roy shrugged, but took what Dinah said to heart. She really was one hell of a woman.

He noticed Batman and Robin talking to the side, and listened in to catch snippets of the conversation.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Batman asked his young ward.

"Of course. I'm here, and if you found a potentially good candidate, I'm fine with you training another Robin. One for here and one for there. Does this new Robin have a name?"

"Jason Todd. I found him on the streets. Took the wheels off the Batmobile in thirty seconds flat. I've never seen anything like it." Batman smirked, and Roy grew bored of the conversation. He drew his attention back to the main group, which was watching Jenny unwrap her gift. It was a family heirloom, apparently, and the antique combs were perfectly suited for her, as the sapphires encrusted within them contrasted with her hair in a way most pleasant. The sisters hugged, and as Gloria gathered Lian's things, Jenny took hold of her hand.

"You'll send an invitation, right?" Jenny whispered to her.

"To what?" Gloria asked. There were no special occasions any time soon.

"To the wedding, silly. The way Roy over there is looking at you, there's no possible way that you two won't get married." the younger sister giggled, and Gloria smiled.

"Sure. I'll send you the first one written out." Gloria hugged her once more, and picked up Lian's carrier. "Let me know if you ever need help here. Ask for Mimic."


	8. any price or consequence, are you sure?

That night was Gloria's turn to patrol the city. She gathered a small quiver of trick arrows and Roy's bow. Her suit was Roy's favorite outfit; she wore latex thigh high boots, fishnet stockings, and a sleeveless, lacy, black dress that only reached down to her upper thigh. The mask she wore did nothing to hide her identity, and often she ripped it off before patrol was over. It was a miracle she hadn't been discovered yet.

"I'm off. Make sure to check her diaper and to feed her in twenty minutes. That should hold you for a couple of hours. I love you both." Gloria gave Roy a longing, lustful kiss, followed by a quick goodbye kiss.

"I'll see you in a few hours, then," Roy wanted to go with her, but they needed to keep someone home for Lian; they compromised and took turns.

The night was boring for Gloria. Only a couple of simple muggings and a drug bust to show for all her hard work. Her eye picked up a splash of green, almost impossible to see, but her eyes had caught it. She thanked the lord she had kissed Roy before she left; she wouldn't have his sharp eyes and marksmanship without the contact. She followed the green blur until the form became a woman wearing a cat mask.

"So you're Mimic." the woman held up a knife. "I'm Cheshire; damn glad to meet you."

"Oh, hello Jade." Gloria enjoyed being Mimic; she wouldn't been this ballsy in her normal life. "I must say that Lian is doing well."

"Bitch please. You have no idea what Roy and I have." the cat mask was ripped off and cast aside.

"Had. I'm with Roy now. And don't call me a bitch, or I will shoot you between the eyes, you whore." Her Austrian accent was practically gone with her ire so high. She drew back the arrow, preparing to shoot the tazer arrow at the offensive woman.

"Try it, and I will ruin your modeling career with a black eye you disgusting, home wrecking ho."

That was all it took to release the arrow, and it connected with the blade of her knife, sending the shock through the metal to Jade's body. Gloria used the opportunity to kick Jade's ass, and they connected fist and foot several times.

"Perhaps Roy isn't as dumb as I thought he was. He picked a good fighter, mother, and worker. But are you a good lover? Will he get bored and leave you? Think about that, Mimic." and with that parting, Jade threw down a smoke bomb and made her escape.

"Damn cats." Gloria grumbled on the way back home.

Roy laid Lian down to sleep, then quietly made his was to the bathroom. He needed to babyproof all of the surfaces, and Gloria told him to do so that night. He decided being a parent was aggravating, but rewarding. Looking about the small room, he was disgusted. It was obviously a single man's bathroom, with the poor upkeep and unclean surfaces. He wondered how Gloria had put up with it for so long. The answer was in the form of a small, clean shelf covered with hair products, lotions, makeup, deodorant, perfumes, and a pink toothbrush. She had simply made room for herself. Roy could have slapped himself if he didn't think the sound would wake Lian. How could he had been so inconsiderate? Why was he so ignorant in the needs of the woman he loved?

By the time she returned, irritated and tired, the bathroom was spotless and babyproofed. Roy was sleeping on the couch, with Lian sleeping on his chest. A light blanket covered the two of them, and a cooled cup of coffee sat on the table nearby. Gloria smiled at the sight, and quickly changed into her pajamas. Jade may have given birth to Lian, but the Harpers were her family now. And she would not give them up. At any price or consequence.


	9. Guess who's cleaning this up?

The next day was the runway show, and Gloria was a nervous wreck. Roy managed to get a sitter to watch Lian so he could accompany her.

"Don't worry Gloria. You'll do fine. You always do." Roy helped her with the clasps and laces.

"I know I do, but I have a feeling. Like something bad's going to happen." Gloria wiggled into the tight latex corset with the red lace. Her makeup was seductive, and Roy was tempted to finally make his move, but decided against it. This was too important to her to interrupt.

"It's going to be fine. That's why I'm here, Gloria. To take care of all the bad things that could happen." Roy lead her to the wings of the stage. "Now go have fun."

The song was loud and alluring, one with a heavy beat and autotuning all through it. He couldn't name the woman singing, probably some recently released rehab girl who wanted to stay relevant. It worked for the procession of skinny, underfed women wearing expensive underwear for the cameras. But then the lights dimmed, and a spotlight lingered on the back curtain. Roy sat up straight in his front row seat. This was the big moment the main piece of the collection would be shown. This was when Gloria would debut as both Austria and America's most beautiful woman.

The angel wings that dragged the ground behind her gave her luscious curves a white background, and her heavy lidded eyes gave a story of lust to the crowd. Gloria's brown eyes searched the first rows until they landed on Roy, and they lingered there until she passed him, and posed for the crowd. Roy doubted he had seen anything so beautiful.

But of course, Gloria was right. She always was. The curtain parted to reveal Cheshire aiming a throwing knife at her. Roy moved faster than he ever remembered moving, launching two well aimed arrows at the assassin. Gasps and screams rang through the studio, and Gloria turned to see what the commotion was. She assessed the situation, and calmly took out a delicate pair of brass knuckles.

"I told you I had a feeling." she gave Roy a look, and he felt her strong gaze through his mask. She was probably the only thing he loved and feared at the same time. With Jade it was just a respect and dislike.

"Well if it isn't Red Arrow. Come to watch your latest lover work, or die?" Cheshire's grinning mask was menacing with the tone of voice Jade was using. Obviously, she was mad that he had gotten over her and her issues.

"No. I came to protect her, do my job, and keep you from killing her." now he was in the Red Arrow persona. He couldn't let her know how scared for Gloria he truly was. She was able to handle herself in several dangerous situations, so why was Jade different? Probably because Jade was insane, smart, and lethal on a whole other level.

"You hear that, Gloria? He really likes you," Cheshire mocked her, and Gloria grabbed an arrow out of the Red Arrow quiver. It was a sharply tipped one, with razor edges. Definitely something they would have to keep away from Lian.

"Bitch. Stay away from me. I'm working. And you have all kinds of people here. Do you want to be arrested? Again?" Gloria indicated the two hundred people making calls to the police at that moment. Photographers snapped picture after picture, not wanting to miss a moment of it.

"No, I want to kill you!" Cheshire threw the knife, and Roy managed to knock it away with his bow. Gloria took hold of the back of his head and gave him a bruising, passionate kiss. Her hair turned a darker auburn, matching Roy's and her eyes were drowned in the pink ring that expanded past her irises.

Gloria's transformation was both exciting and frightening, a new sensation for Roy to experience. He had never really paid attention to how she looked when she borrowed his talents. But seeing her go in hand to hand combat with nothing but an arrow that she snatched from his quiver was a truly terrifyingly awesome feeling. She looked like an angel of destruction, fighting tooth and nail to defeat Cheshire. Roy joined in, getting several hits in, and receiving a few injuries himself. But like always, if the fight wasn't going as well as Cheshire planned, she would find a way to escape. She used a small explosive to make an exit, and made her way out of the chaos.

Roy caught sight of a soot covered, bruised Gloria glaring at the gaping hole in the wall. "Guess who'll be cleaning that up?"

"Me?" he guessed, already knowing the answer. Dinah and Oliver had this conversation more than either would like to admit.

"Damn right."


	10. The Death of Lian Harper

They were tired, bruised, and not to happy that Gloria was going to be fired from the fiasco, but nothing had prepared them for what they arrived home to.

The apartment building they called home was nothing but a pile of rubble. Fire trucks were busy putting out the remaining flames, and rescue teams were busy pulling injured and trapped people out of the remains. Panic swept through the couple as the sitter, a girl named Mia, and Lian were no where in sight. They ran to the scene, Roy still in his Red Arrow suit, and Gloria recently dressed in the Mimic costume, desperate to get to where Lian was. They pushed through the crowd, in a blind need to be with the child.

They were able to get past the yellow tape easily, their hero status giving them a few perks. Gloria touched the arm of a particularly strong looking fellow, and started heaving boulders out of the way as if they were mere pebbles. Roy went over to one of the rescue team leaders, needing to sate his need to know if his girl was alright.

"Please, please, please tell me you found a teenage girl named Mia." Roy figured that if Mia was alright, then Lian would be with her.

"Yeah. We found her. But she was insistent we keep digging." the leader said, disinterested in the subject. "Something about a baby."

"No." Roy's eyes widened behind the domino mask he wore. "No, no, no. Please tell me you found the kid!" he grabbed the front of the man's shirt. "Tell me you found her!"

"I'm sorry, but we couldn't find a thing in there!" the man yelled back in fright. "We couldn't find the kid!"

"That's my kid!" Roy dropped the man took hold of his own gelled hair. "That's my girl!"

"Arrow! I- I found her!" Gloria could be heard from a little distance away. He jumped up with hope against hope that his little girl was alive. From the rubble, Gloria pulled a small body out. A tiny hand dangled from her grip. Roy slowed his pace, afraid of what he would see. But he couldn't avoid it any more. Seeing Lian's dead body in Gloria's arms, Roy fell to his knees, and cried, in front of the entire crowd of onlookers and photographers. He cried for his baby, for his lost daughter.


	11. Grieving and rebuilding

The service was held a few days later. The entire Young Justice team was in attendance, along with Dinah and Oliver. Jade was pointedly absent from the procession. Gloria laid Lian's toy, affectionately named Mr. Scooch, with Lian in the casket. As they lowered the small coffin into the ground, Roy loosened his tie in an attempt to keep from crying. He hadn't held Lian for very long, in fact, he had only known she existed for a couple of days. But in those couple of days, he had found the joy of parenting, the joy of caring for Lian. He loved her since the moment he brought her inside the apartment. The look Gloria gave was that of pure agony. Someone might stab them on all the weakest points they had, and it wouldn't hurt this much.

"Lian," she sobbed, and crumpled to the ground next to him. Of all the things that had ever happened to her, this was the most devastating. How could the Lord bless them with this tiny life, and suddenly rip her away from them? Was it because she wasn't ever meant to be a mother? Was she that bad at it? How could anyone deserve this kind of punishment?

It was weeks before they could get over the grief. But life went on, and they had to keep going if anything was going to get better. Gloria ended her contract with Lexcorp, as did Roy, and they set out together. It took all of two days for Gloria to get another job being the face of a perfume called 'seduction', and Roy started working for the government, talking to children about the dangers of drugs. He was pretty good at it, but it stung to see so many children that reminded him of Lian every day.

At night, the couple would stake out crime, and afterwards would fall asleep on their bed. Their relationship was official, though some spats were always present. One of those touchy subjects was breached over dinner that February night.

"Roy, I am just saying," Gloria's English still needed a bit of work. "Talking to Green Arrow might not be a bad idea. Especially now that we are back in Star City."

"No. I'm not going to do it. That bastard won't give me the respect I deserve, why should I have anything to do with that blowhard?" Roy leaned back in his chair, certain her argument was going to crumble as she laid it out. But how wrong he was, he would never know.

"Because you promised Dinah, you need some support from the loss of your daughter, you're unstable, and it's time to come to an agreement. He can't give you respect if you're not there to receive it." Gloria's stern face made him feel like dirt. He was hurting her with his stubborn attitude.

"I'm sorry. You're right. But I still don't want to." Roy knew he was being an ass, but dammit, Oliver was one first. He would out wait him, even if it killed him.

"Arg, Sheizkomf!" Gloria threw her arms in the air and stomped away from the dinner table. The door to their bedroom slammed behind her, and suddenly Roy didn't feel so triumphant.

He cleaned off the dinner dishes, putting away the leftover roast and potatoes. He didn't really care for them, but he knew that Gloria loved stewed potatoes. Maybe if she found them in the fridge, she wouldn't be so mad at him. Though the thought occurred to him that maybe something else was bothering her as well.

Roy quietly entered the bedroom to find her changing into her pajamas. They were his favorite ones, the gossamer robe that only reached the tops of her thighs with the feathers along with the feather laced bra and white panties. Sometimes it was awesome to have a lingerie model as a roommate/girlfriend. They never had sex, but God did he want to. He wasn't sure how to apologize for his rudeness at dinner, but he knew this was probably his one shot at make up sex.

"I'm sorry. I was out of line." Roy was earnest about that, but he didn't know if that would just get her angrier. "Do you think we can meet up with them sometime?"

"Yes. Dinah and I had a talk yesterday over the phone, and we can all go to some party that entrepreneur Bruce Wayne is having. Celebrating the adoption of his newest son or something." Gloria climbed onto their bed, and Roy felt his pants get tighter. Damn the drawbacks of being a man!

He stripped his shirt off slowly, insinuating what he wanted. Roy hoped she would want it too. He watched her reaction carefully, seeing the pink ring in her eyes dilate slightly, along with the rise and fall of her chest starting to pick up its pace.

"Thanks. I wasn't sure if you would forgive me yet." his voice was husky in want, and he was sure she would deny him if he kept it up. Better to stop while he was ahead.

"Oh, I don't forgive you yet." her purr was barely registered, but Roy's ears picked up the quiet lust in it. "First, come here."

Roy followed her instruction and was soon straddling her, kissing her neck in a frenzy of passion. He didn't even know how they got to that point that fast. A blazing fire was building between them. Gloria's soft hands traced the planes of his chest, working their way down to his pants. Roy's breath caught as she literally ripped them from his body and threw them over the side of the bed. Someone was really wanting it.


	12. Making up in the best way possible

He followed suit by shredding the robe off of her, then reached behind her to find the clasp of her feathery bra. Finding it was easy, unhooking it was another matter though. He never could figure out how to get both the small hooks out of the clasp. Five minutes past before Gloria heaved a sigh and reached back, undoing it swiftly.

"Uh.." Roy blushed, "Sorry."

"It's no trouble." her voice was still thick from heat. "But please, stop teasing me and get this off me." she shook her bra off, and Roy was more than ready. He took one breast in his hand, and took the other into his mouth. His tongue went to work on the most sensitive parts, particularly the areola, while his other hand started down to her panties. He pulled them off her slowly, her mewling of pleasure fueling his desire.

His fingers slowly teased the cluster of nerves at her entrance, then he slowly brought two fingers into her. Gloria's gasp when he started moving them inside of her was all he needed to strip off his boxers. He spread her legs further apart, slow enough to enjoy the feel of her thighs. He admired the landing strip of strawberry blonde hair that was down there, giving him the direction to the area he wanted most of all.

"Are you ready?" he asked quietly as he lined up with her. Gloria wrapped her legs around his waist.

"I want you now, Roy Harper." she growled. That was all she needed to say before he plunged deep inside her.

The feeling was euphoric. There was no gasp of pain from Gloria, but then again, he knew she wasn't a virgin. She had to pull a few strings to get where she was in the business, and Roy knew that wasn't important now. What was important was the fact that they were in love. He hadn't realized it until he saw her hold Lian, but he loved her intensely.

He started pumping inside her, and watched as the expression on Gloria's face became that of rapture. Her moans became intelligible, but he knew she was enjoying it. After a while, she looked at him with pink begging eyes.

"Faster. Please, Roy, faster." she begged, and he gave her a smirk that would put any badass to shame.

"I don't know..." he slowed down. "Is this what you want?"

"God, Roy, faster," she whined, and Roy sped up until the headboard started banging the wall. He began that pattern until she finally let out a orgasmic moan, calling out his name. The feeling of her walls closing around him sent him into oblivion, and he spilled his seed into her womb.

The feeling of completion taking over, Roy rolled over next to her, and held her close as they fell asleep. He had never done so before, but he found he really liked it. It made him feel even better. As he saw her drift off into dream land, Roy prayed to God that he could keep her close forever.


	13. I would punch Superman in the face

The next day was filled with love making, up until five o'clock, when they started getting ready for the party. Roy noticed how much work Gloria put into looking good. He didn't understand. Honestly, she looked best in nothing at all with no makeup and messed up hair.

The party was boring, filled with older people and rich folks with just too many ostentatious things draping off them. It wasn't long before Roy caught sight of Dinah, looking nice, but not snooty. Perfect Dinah. It had been months since he had last seen her, and he felt bad for not talking to her. She knew about his past heroin addiction, and she was proud of him for kicking the habit with only help from Gloria. Oliver had not been as kind. But the look on Ollie's face described that of a father looking for his son; frantic glances around the place were made every few seconds.

Gloria put her arm in his as they made their way to the couple. Dinah spotted him first.

"Oh, thank God you came!" Dinah smiled at the two. "And Gloria, you look great! You're practically glowing, you look so good!"

"Thank you, Dinah, but you look so much better." Gloria was nothing if not modest. It was just another thing Roy loved about her.

"Um, hey Roy." Oliver was hesitant to start the conversation, and Roy was hesitant to keep it going.

"Hey, Ollie." he lamely returned, and a silence fell between them.

"Oh, for God's sake, would you two just hug and make up already!" Dinah and Gloria huffed at them, and Roy felt like a little boy in trouble. They awkwardly shook hands and exchanged apologies.

"I'm sorry that we weren't able to see eye to eye." Ollie looked at his shoes.

"And I'm sorry that I was so stubborn," Roy returned with as much earnestness as he could muster. Why did all manly men have terrible heart to heart conversations?

"Right. Well, I wanted to let you know the Justice League still want you to join the Young Justice group." Ollie started, and Roy held up his hand to stop him.

"Kaldur and I already have a deal. We ask each other for help when we need it. Though I doubt I'll be needing any help now that I have Gloria by my side. You should really see what she can do. It's simply amazing!" Roy became excited talking about Gloria, and she blushed from the attention.

"I know. The League already have a file on her from her demonstrations in Austria. We were also hoping if you two would consider becoming honorary Justice League members. That way, you have the title and privileges, but you answer to our bosses, Bats and whoever is on monitor duty." Ollie gave Roy a sly smile, and continued. "But there's a catch."

"Always a catch," Roy sighed. "Alright, what is it?"

"You also help Dinah train the YJ team. They've got her technique down pat, but not everybody fights like Dinah. We need fresh blood to help her out." Oliver was smug about this deal. It was a win-win situation. Just the way he liked it.

"That sounds like fun, Ollie." Roy stroked a nonexistent beard. "Very interesting. Gloria, do you think we should take this deal?" he looked to his girlfriend.

"I think that it is a good idea. If you don't take it, I will." Gloria was very adamant about joining the League. It was what she kept fighting crime for. To join them would give her the validation she so desperately wanted.

"Then put me down for it, too." Roy declared. At that time, Bruce Wayne took center stage as the host of the party.

"Thank you for all coming out tonight. I started this little get together to celebrate the adoption of my son, Jason Todd. Let's all welcome him to the fold with open arms." Bruce's voice was very familiar to Roy, and then it hit him. Jason Todd was the name of the new Robin that Batman and Robin had talked about on Christmas. It clicked into place. Roy tucked the information away. Best not to make a big deal of it and save it for a rainy day.

The boy was about nine or ten, by his guess. He was lanky with red hair and green eyes. He looked guilty, like he just remembered something important that he forgot. Perhaps it was just the shock of being adopted into a wealthy family. Lord knows, Roy almost had a breakdown the first night he was in the Queen Estate.

The lights suddenly went out, and Roy cursed loudly, only to be smacked by Dinah.

"Watch your mouth," she warned. He couldn't see her for shit, but he knew she was glaring in his direction. He sighed. Of all the nights he left his suit home...

"Here you go, Roy," Gloria's voice whispered into his ear, and he felt the fabric of his suit being pressed into his hand. Thank God for Gloria. "I'm already in mine. Quickly change before the lights come back on."

He started with his pants, just in case. No reason for the criminals and everyone else to see his boxers. By the time the spotlight was turned back on, along with the floodlights, Dinah was in her Black Canary outfit, Oliver was in his Green Arrow garb, and Gloria was already in her Mimic costume. He buckled his belt quickly while Gloria slapped his mask onto his face. Did they all really just have a quick change in the middle of a dense crowd without being noticed? Roy saw that Bruce and Jason were gone, and instead Batman and a red haired Robin were in their place. Interesting.

From the shadows emerged Cheshire. Of course it was Cheshire. Roy had just about enough of her for a lifetime.

"You." she pointed at Mimic. "What did I say about staying away from what is mine?"

"I told you that you're no part of this family." Gloria was in full out Mimic mode, angry and violent. "Arrow. Now."

Ollie and Roy both handed her an arrow, not sure who she was ordering, and she took both, then grabbed Roy and gave him a bruising kiss. Photographers at the party looking for gossip went crazy, flashing off as many snapshots their fingers could manage. The tabloids were going to have a field day.

She released him, and gave him a playful wink. "Showtime." she said as her hair turned that auburn red and her eyes started glowing pink.

Mimic used her agility to get to Cheshire, dodging her small explosives and knives on the way. Black Canary cleared away the crowd, then released an ear-splitting canary call, shattering the windows and the spotlight. Batman started laying out traps along the room, Robin doing crowd control. Green and Red arrows began providing cover, as other henchmen started leaking out of the shadows.

"I didn't expect you to have adapted to the hero way of life yet." Cheshire commented from behind her mask. "You fight well."

"I've done this in Austria too. You forget much, cat." Mimic mocked her while knocking a knife out of her hand with a well aimed kick. Roy caught sight of her black lacy underpants from under the short dress. Her fishnets became caught in the knife, and they ripped. Mimic didn't give a damn. She was having the time of her life. Cheshire grabbed a hold of her long curly locks, and pulled. Mimic went down, and Roy started to panic, launching arrows much faster and sloppier than he should have.

Oliver chuckled. "First time fighting alongside the girlfriend, I see. I remember seeing Canary fight with me for the first time. I was a nervous wreck." he took down another henchman.

"I'm not a nervous wreck," Roy objected, launching an arrow and hitting a henchman, though not the one he aimed for. "I'm just concerned about her. Cheshire's no picnic or walk in the park."

"It looks like they've already met, boy. This is a catfight, excuse the pun, but this is personal. Take it from me, it's better not to get involved in this one. Girls can be downright dirty when it comes to fighting." Dinah joined in on their conversation. Was nothing private in this place?

"So... when are you proposing?" she asked casually, and Roy choked on air.

"What? How- how do you know?" he shot down three more men. They were coming at a slower rate now, almost a trickle.

"The way you look at her, the way she talks to you, the way you two act, it's so obvious. You two are in love. So when were you planning on it?" Dinah was hellbent on getting an answer, and Roy sighed.

"I was planning on doing it on her birthday. Is that a problem?" Roy admitted with a sneer. He wasn't going to be all mushy while in the zone.

"Not at all. Just be sure to invite us to the wedding. Surprise us about the planning, though. I don't want to go through that mess again." Ollie joked. Roy looked around, and caught sight of Cheshire and Mimic, still fighting. Gloria had a few scratches, and Jade's Cheshire mask was severely cracked, chunks of it already fallen off.

"I'll wipe that sadistic smile right off your face!" Mimic was slicing Cheshire's clothes to ribbons with the arrows she had taken from Roy and Ollie. Apparently the ability she had borrowed from Roy was the ability to turn anything into a deadly weapon, as she used the small razor tips to their highest potential in close range combat.

"At least I'll still look better," Jade started with her bitchy comments. "I have a baby and I'm still prettier. What does that say about you when you start?" Roy stopped and his eyes widened at the audacity of Jade's words, stretching his domino mask. That was a low blow, and everyone in the Arrow family knew it.

"You bitch!" Mimic's fighting became even fiercer, if it were possible, and she threw a perfect right hook. "You nasty, disgusting, detestable piece of filth! How dare you bring that up! At least I cared for your child. All you did was leave it behind!"

"Oh, I guess that means you can't _have_ children, I get it." the Cheshire smile was back in place, though the mask was long gone. The blood drained from Roy's face. There was no way this could end well. "Since your sterile, you took care of mine, let it die, and now you're mad. It all makes sense now. Did it ever occur to you that maybe you're just not built for parenting?" Jade laughed. "I'll leave you with that thought."

The remaining lights flickered, and when the lights came back on, all trace of Jade was gone. Roy ran to Gloria, who was transfixed on the place that Jade had just been. Her stare was that of shock, hurt, and grief. He wrapped his arms around her as she crumpled to the floor.

"Is it that plain to see? I'm I that transparent?" she whispered, and Roy cradled her on the floor in front of Ollie, Dinah, Batman and Robin #2.

"No, Gloria, you're not. She was being cruel, and you didn't deserve it. If it bothers you so much, there's more than one way to have a kid. We can go to a doctor. We can adopt. We can do so much more, if that's what you want. It doesn't have to be this way. Don't worry, I'll be there for you. Always. You have to know that." Roy was desperate to console her. If there was any way to make her happy, he would do it. If he had to punch Superman in the face, just to make her smile, he would do it. Anything for Gloria. Anything for the woman he loved.

"I know." she sniffled, and looked up at him with wet pink eyes. "I know."


	14. The most memorable night in Roy's life

August rolled around, and Roy was frantic. Gloria's birthday was in two days, and he had everything planned out. He would take her out to a fancy restaurant that just opened, a place called 'Moonlit Rose petals',some overly romantic place that would make any woman's heart melt. Then, he would surprise her with his proposal, right when the champagne was brought out. He would make this night so memorable, she would engrave it into her psyche so when she got old and had Alzheimer's, she would remember it.

He had reserved a table next to a window with a great view, for a time when the sun would be just about to set, so when the question was asked, he would see the spectrum of colors shine from her strawberry blonde hair. He was going to remember this day as well. Nothing would go wrong!

The ring he got her was also romantic. It was no ordinary ring. She was very utilitarian when it came to her every day clothes, so he got her one that was not obnoxious, but still very pretty. It had a platinum band, so it wouldn't break while fighting crime, and had two rubies on either side of a white diamond. It didn't have a huge amount of carats to it, but the effect was stunning. He had it designed after a picture of her father's mother, who had a necklace very similar to it. Gloria had said that the necklace was a family heirloom that was lost in a fire some years before she was born. But the ring bore quite a resemblance, it was almost as if he had brought the heirloom back to life. He was quite proud of it.

Gloria waltzed in at her usual time of four o'clock, when the photo shoots ended. They went to the restaurant, and Gloria was amazed. Roy initiated conversation with a simple how was your day kind of question. She had been talking with Bruce Wayne about a product he wanted her to endorse, some kind of solar powered watch that could give someone both the time and the temperature. It sounded lame, but if it was Waynetech, it had to be good. She had also talked to him about his latest adopted son.

"Did you know that little boy is twelve? And such a small boy, too." she started with smalltalk, something Roy wasn't very good at. "I think Bruce said he came from Crime Alley. It does my heart good to know that not everyone is giving up on those down there. I would like to start a reform program down there, but I never have the time." The waiter came by with the champagne, and Roy got down on one knee.

"Gloria Michelle Heinrich. I've known you for a little under a year, and yet I feel like I've known you forever. You have been so good to me for so long, and I want to be there for you forever, to return the favor, and to enjoy the rest of my life with you. Will you become Mrs. Gloria Michelle Harper, and marry me?" his nervousness didn't affect his speech, and he had timed it just right, as the sun set and her hair shone with all the colors in the rainbow. Her eyes sparkled in surprise and delight, and her smile could not be undone.

"Y-Yes, of course I will!" she cried, with tears welling in her eyes with happiness. The restaurant applauded the spectacle of romance, then continued on with their meals. Roy sat back down in his seat, and the waiter congratulated the two while pouring their glasses of champagne. Gloria leaned forward in her seat as the waiter left. "I have some news of my own." she whispered, and butterflies flew in Roy's stomach.

"What is it?" he asked, but she put on a sly smile and shook her head in response.

"I'll show you when we get home."

_ They walked home, hand in hand, while photographers and tabloid reporters swarmed. That was the only problem with being famous and being a hero; there was no time you could go anywhere without people wanting to know your business. Roy knew tomorrow's headline would be his overly romantic proposal, which embarrassed him. He wanted there to be witnesses to that moment, but he didn't need half of America to know!

They slammed the apartment door behind them, and Roy took Gloria's coat and put it away for her while she went to make coffee. She always knew how to make it the way he loved it; too much cream and not much sugar. Gloria returned with one cup, which she handed to him. He found this strange. She loved coffee, it was her crutch to get through the night shift crime watch. But she was already in her pajamas. Something wasn't right, and he wanted to know what it was.

"So, what is this news that you have for me?" Roy decided to get straight to the point, but Gloria shook her head, jostling her lightly tousled strawberry locks.

"I'll tell you when we go to bed. For now, tell me about your day." it was a simple enough request, and not an unusual one for Gloria to ask, but the avoidance of the topic had Roy feeling suspicious.

"Well, I set up a good sized orphanage, cleaned the apartment, as you can see," he gestured to the immaculate place. "And I proposed to the love of my life. All in all, it was a pretty good day. I think tonight I'll call in Dinah to cover my shift on monitor duty. After all, tomorrow we're going to see the team for training, right?"

"Yes, I forgot all about it. Tomorrow I'll be teaching, not demonstrating though." Gloria glanced at her shoes, and Roy became nervous.

"Might I ask why?" Roy pressed, and Gloria looked up at him with chocolate colored eyes.

"Roy... We're going to have a baby." she carefully said. "I'm pregnant."

The news made Roy freeze, and his joy came in waves. He picked Gloria up and spun her about. "We're going to be parents!" he cried. "We're going to have a family again!"

They shared their joy with each other, and decided not to tell anyone else about her pregnancy until it would be unavoidable. There was no reason to risk enemies finding out about it and targeting her.


	15. Matchmaking, but what's in a name?

The next morning found them at Mount Justice, with all the team in line before them. Gloria smirked. She spied Jenny holding hands with Kid Flash moments before, and they kept looking at one another. Typical teenage romance was so cute!

Roy donned his domino mask, the opaque lenses keeping his beautiful eyes hidden. A shame, but necessary. His red hair was gelled in its usual form, sticking up in the front. His well built body was perfectly cased in his Red Arrow suit, the skin of his shoulders and arms showing wonderfully as the muscles rolled under it. He gave Gloria a quick kiss before stalking into the training area. Good Lord, she loved it when he was like that. It was how she became pregnant in the first place!

"Today, you all will be training with just Red Arrow," Black Canary waved her sister up. Gloria noticed her outfit colors were primarily black and purple, giving Jinx a more sinister look. "You'll be using your abilities. After all, you need to learn how to use them well, as you use them in every mission up to date."

Roy locked an arrow into place on his red bow, and Gloria took a seat next to Kid Flash. "Hey, Wally, how are you today?" she asked the hyperactive teen.

"Fine, I guess. A bit worried about Jenny," Wally glanced sideways at Gloria. "Did you know Jenny isn't her real first name?"

"Yes, I know that. But our father convinced her that sharing her real name to people would endanger her mother. A good bit of help that did her." Gloria was referring to the murder of Jenny's mother, Patricia Park. "Heinrich isn't her last name, either. She kept her mother's maiden name. Jennifer is her middle name, and I gave her father's last name to keep her in line for his inheritance."

"Oh. Why doesn't she use her real name now? It doesn't do her any harm." Wally pressed on as the fight began.

"Because she is a person of habit. She's stubborn like me." Gloria watched her sister and her lover carefully.

Jenny's hot pink hair bellied her seriousness when it came to a fight. Her powers were in effect immediately, breaking objects all around Roy. He retaliated her attacks with quick reflexes and blocks. Roy wasn't the best at defense, though, so he took a good beating. Stamina was another one of Roy's abilities, which Gloria had borrowed on several occasions. He released several arrows in quick succession, and the projectiles struck her almost every time, but Jenny's eyes glowed pink, and the arrows became duds, merely bouncing off her lithe form.

Martial arts came into play, and Jenny put up a good fight with Roy. But Red Arrow had a good hundred pounds of muscle on her, and the teen was flying through the air soon after the start of the attack. She recovered, then flashed her pink eyes once more, causing his bow to snap in half. It wasn't ten seconds later that Jenny had managed to temporarily take out the power. The lights turned back on to reveal her standing on Roy, who was smiling and tapping out. Gloria applauded her sister's fighting, but had a slight suspicion that the fight was thrown by Roy. He wouldn't dare to seriously injure his lover's sister.

Next up was Kaldur, who lost miserably, most likely because Roy had managed to jam arrows into the water based weapons Kaldur wielded. M'gann was a bit trickier, as she kept turning invisible and flying out of range. But after a while, she had tired herself out, as she had expended a lot of energy avoiding his attacks, but made no time to attack the archer. Robin and Red Arrow had reached an impasse, their weapons too closely matched, as well as their skill and experience. However, the battle with Artemis was determined in under a minute. Red Arrow clearly outclassed Artemis when it came to archery, which was demonstrated when they launched arrows at each other. While Artemis could only fire one at a time, Roy could manage three at once, allowing a great advantage.

Lucky for the young girl, he had thought to only use trick arrows, so the boxing glove that sprouted from one struck her in the face, while another released a knockout gas. The third had in fact been used to deflect the blonde's arrow, and the projectiles landed on the ground, useless to the opponents. Artemis collapsed on the floor, and the computer declared Red Arrow's victory.

"My turn," Kid Flash gulped and patted Gloria's arm as he sped up to the ring. Kaldur and Superboy dragged Artemis's limp from the area, a black eye forming on her pretty face. A shame in Gloria's eyes, but the satisfied look on Jenny's face made her more than a little worried. Hopefully whatever was going on between them wouldn't effect the team's efficiency.

Wally made a weak fighting stance, and Gloria arched a delicate eyebrow. From Jenny's snickers, she knew this was not all that it appeared to be. Once Black Canary made the sign to start, the speedster vanished from sight. Roy stuck his arm out, brandishing half of his broken bow, catching the red haired runner by surprise. The boy's clumsiness only aided the damage as he crashed into the outstretched arm. Blood spurted out of his nose, but he wiped it away and lowered his goggles over his eyes, signaling he meant business. There was no way he was going to be made a fool in front of Jenny, or whatever her real name was. He faded from sight as he started vibrating his molecules, going at such a speed that he didn't even leave his usual yellow and red streaks behind him.

Gloria was impressed by his improvements. She had been working with him for weeks trying to get him to those speeds, even going so far as to borrow the Flash's powers for their sessions. Barry had been very generous to lend them to her. Focusing back to the situation, she noticed Roy had a few bruises developing on his skin, and he was being whipped back and forth by the teenager's fast attacks. Roy threw down several explosive arrows, and Wally became trapped by the well placed mines. They blew him right out of the ring, where he crashed into Superboy, leaving the two unconscious.

"I guess that takes care of the next match, too." Black Canary sighed. "Roy, you've got to be more careful with these guys. They break easy."

"We do not!" Robin argued. "I'm outta here, I've got stuff to take care of!" he grumped off to talk to his mentor. Gloria had no doubt in her mind he was checking in on how the new Robin, Jason Todd, was coming along in his studies.

"I guess we've been kicked out for the day," Roy sniffed and picked up the pieces of arrows and the halves of his broken bow. "Now I've got to re-string the old one I guess. That's a shame. I really liked this one."


	16. Nothing like sexual tension, is there?

Gloria took inventory of his injuries. They ranged from minor bruises that littered his face, arms, legs, and back, to the floating rib that was undoubtedly broken and his broken nose. With all the gauze on his face, he looked like a white bearded Abe Lincoln. The thought made her giggle.

"What's so funny?" he asked, then winced when she poured the hydrogen peroxide on his multiple scrapes and gashes given to him by both the team and the crime he had fought the hours that had followed. Hand to hand just wasn't his forte. He was better at long distance fighting.

"Oh, nothing," she giggled again, and Roy grunted. "You really need to re-string that bow."

"I know. I just keep putting it off for some reason."

It had been three weeks since Gloria and Roy had done the lesson with Gloria on the sidelines. It was surprising how quickly the young heroes had tired him out without Gloria there to pick up where he left off. They had gone to a doctor for Gloria's first prenatal checkup, and found she was about three months along. Her shapely curves were more pronounced, her breasts heavier, her hips widening. Roy found it awfully distracting, and he would waste hours watching her do meaningless tasks, like straightening the contents of the cabinet, which he had messed up purposefully, knowing she would fix it. The curve of her pregnancy was just barely there. It was disappointing, knowing how often she was sick and miserable, how little progress had been made. When he would hold back her strawberry blonde tresses, he would feel the need to wish the process to hurry the hell up. He had no doubt that she felt that way in a greater intensity. Her joints ached, her sleep scattered, and she constantly worried about the wedding, the pregnancy, and his nights out as Red Arrow.

Her stress was contagious, but not as much as her lust was. Waves of sexual tension filled the apartment, and it had been weeks since they had done anything. Roy was terrified that he would hurt the baby. But for the love of God, he could only take so much! Today she was in one of her better outfits, not that he really cared. He liked what she wore, no matter what it was, even if it was sweat pants and one of his shirts. But today she looked especially good in a cashmere sweater dress and boots. She didn't wear leggings anymore, as it was just a hassle, and to be honest, she really didn't care anymore. She was pregnant, and dammit, she was going to wear what she wanted, regardless of fashion trends.

Roy quietly ripped the gauze beard, and wrapped his arms around Gloria.

"What are you doing, Roy?" Gloria giggled, but the way he held her, she could feel the beginnings of heat in her core. Things like that happened when you had three times as much blood going through your system.

"Taking off your underwear." he stated simply, and she looked down to see that he really was doing so, silently and covertly. She hadn't noticed.

"Well, then, this means war!" she stripped him of his Red Arrow uniform faster than what should be possible, and he took care of her sweater dress with ease. The hard part was the boots. Her ankles had swollen, but he knew it wasn't going to stop him. She was his fiancé, and the mother of his children. He wasn't going to let her swollen ankles or his broken nose and rib stop him from screwing her senseless!

A tumble of limbs and several kisses later, he was at her entrance, lining up.

"You're sure this won't hurt the baby?" he asked, hesitating for only a moment.

"Yes, I'm sure. Many couples do this, Roy." Gloria was oh so ready for him, and she was already one orgasm down. Roy didn't even know how bad she had been wanting this.

He entered her, and she gasped in pleasure. The sex was so much better when she was this sensitive. It was a shame Roy couldn't feel this good, even in his teenage years, when he was the most primed for this. But at 21, he was a stallion in his own right. He brought her up to the edge, then backed off just long enough to get back up.

"Scream my name, Gloria," he growled.

She complied without being asked twice. Their voices carried throughout the apartment, the sound of fulfillment.


	17. Today is the DayRoRo and Ollie

Today was the day. Gloria was all dressed in white, the designer dress she wore covered in delicate lace, her bouquet of lilies and roses in her hands. The Church organ started playing, and the crowd turned towards the back of the aisle. Her heart beat a furious tune. She had waited for this day all her life, and now it was finally here. She wished her parents had been around to see this, to tell her father that a man would love her, unlike what he had told her in Austria for the small length of time he was actually there. But she had her sister, Jenny, and that was enough for her.

She started her final steps as an unmarried woman, and the audience gasped at her beauty. Whoever said women glow when they are pregnant was full of shit, but Gloria honestly looked like a goddess, her baby bump subtly hidden. She looked up to the altar, where she saw Roy standing. His expression was that of awe, happiness, and pride. This was the woman he was going to marry. This was going to be his wife, the mother of his children. This was the happiest day of both their lives, cliche though that saying might be. He couldn't wait to hold her hand every night, to stay by her side. She had always been so good to him, even though to be honest, he wasn't that impressive. He was just a guy with good aim and a few morals to uphold. In the pews, the young Jason Todd yawned, and was elbowed by his adoptive father, Bruce Wayne. Dick Grayson giggled at his younger Robin's misfortune.

Their vows were hand written, but for the life of him, Roy didn't understand how she had written better ones than his. She had less time! But his still held the weight of seriousness that was needed. He slipped the ring onto her finger gently, as if he were slipping a glass slipper onto Cinderella. She did the same to him, and he felt her soft, strong hands against his callused rough ones. She was so delicate, yet so tough. It had taken him three hours with Batman and the new Robin, Jason Todd, to find the perfect bands. He wanted to surprise her with them. And surprise her he did. She had been elated to see he went through so much to get them.

When they shared the obligatory wedding kiss, Roy imagined sparks flying about. It was a chaste kiss, but it was unlike any other.

Six years had passed since that glorious day, and Roy had found family life to be something he was built for. He and Gloria would spend their daylight free time with their sons, Roy (who was affectionately called Ro-Ro) and Oliver, teaching them the way of archery and controlling their abilities. Ro-Ro was a walking lie detector and invulnerable, and Oliver was a sharpshooter and a troublemaker. The two went together perfectly in every way.

At night, they would be Mimic and Red Arrow, cleaning the streets of Star City whenever Green Arrow and Black Canary were busy with JL business or a 'hot date'. But tonight, they were going to a masquerade ball for charity that Oliver was throwing in Gotham. It took a lot of convincing and a bit of bribery to get the twins to agree on coming. After all, Trick or Treating only came once a year.


	18. Bridging the gap, Another!

The costumes were garish. Gloria found herself regretting letting Roy talk her into coming. The women wore tight, revealing clothing, while the men leered suggestfully. The stench of big business and corruption filled the air.

"Roy, are you sure we can let the boys stay here?" she whispered into her husband's ear. He was dressed like a pirate, and she was his mermaid.

"Of course. Ollie took me to things like this all the time. Look," he pointed out Ro-Ro, who was dressed like the Flash, courtesy of Mrs. Iris Allen, who helped sew the suits. "Roy's having fun trick or treating."

Ro-Ro looked up a woman's skirt and blushed, then ran away, his brown eyes watering, enhancing the pink ring within.

"I guess he didn't know the consequences of trick." Roy laughed, and Gloria smacked him. "I mean, that was very naughty of him."

Ollie, dressed as his father, ran about the large room firing off foam arrows and striking women in inappropriate places without being noticed. The pink ring in his brown eyes dilated, giving him better eyesight.

Roy thought it was hilarious, but Gloria was horrified. Her sons and their father were a bunch of troublemakers! And she found it... kind of funny.

Roy's eye caught a familiar pair. He had kept track of Batman's latest Robin, Jason Todd, and heard about his new girlfriend, Rozalin Mercer. He had a feeling she had something to do with this new vigilante running around in Gotham, just from the way she held herself. She had that badass swagger that an adopted heiress just shouldn't have. He knew. He had that same swagger, as did Richard and Jason. It was just something that they all had in common that connected them to their alter egos.

He almost laughed out loud when he saw what they were dressed as. Something just tickled him pink to see Jason in a goofy parody of the Batman cowl. And Rozalin's Robin costume was adorable. They looked uncomfortable among the other partygoers. He knew that these people were sacks of wealthy filth, but he also knew how to blend into them. Jason and Rozalin hadn't had any other experiences of transition into other cultures like he had. It had helped him camouflage into the high society of scum bags. He supposed he belonged there, the adoptive son of a billionaire and the husband of a returning lingerie model from Austria, but dammit he just didn't identify with those people, and neither did Gloria.

The couple of teenagers approached, and Roy felt so old. He was only twenty five, but he remembered when Richard had that look of fresh blood about him. He remembered when Jason was that odd twelve year old with a habit of causing Bruce to sigh in concern.

Roy noticed it was Rozalin who lead the couple. Interesting. He didn't type Jason as one to let the lady lead. But then again, he wasn't that type either until he met Gloria. Maybe she was a take charge woman as well.

Oliver Queen, his adoptive father, started the band up, and the social elites made the rounds, being as snooty as possible. Though Roy and Gloria would never admit it, they hated these people with all of their being. They sat upon their high horse and did nothing for the little people. At least he did community service, and protected the weak from criminals.

He and Gloria took up light conversation with Jason and Rozalin. Roy could tell that Jason was disconcerted by Gloria's unique eyes. Their conversation carried on for a few minutes, but the hour was late, as Roy could see their boys slowing down. Oliver yawned nearby, and Gloria scooped him up onto her hip. Roy found Ro-Ro, and picked him up. They excused themselves from the party, declaring that the children needed to be put to bed.

He felt bad for the teenagers, but family came first. After they laid the boys down and kissed them goodnight, Gloria took a hold of his tricorn hat and traipsed into their bedroom. He followed her to find her dragging her fishnets over her thighs.

"There's a drug bust on Finger and Fourth. Do you know how to get there?" she asked, her boots unzipped.

"Yeah. Bruce showed me a shortcut there once. Let's go." Roy took off the ridiculous shirt to reveal his Red Arrow suit was already on, though with the addition of red pirate boots.

"You know, I kind of like those." Gloria smiled. Roy mentally declared he would wear them more often.


	19. Horror and joy

By the time they arrived, Robin and Cardinal were already on the scene. Roy took stock of the situation. Eight henchmen of various Gotham villains all here for some drugs. It reminded him of his sick days.

Cardinal stood before the druggies. She had a barretta, and Roy inwardly cringed. Rule number one of being part of the sidekick or supporting hero roles: never use a gun. He himself had broken this rule plenty of times, but it was different when it was a teenager. She shot one of them down, and Roy knew she was going to slaughter them if he didn't do something fast. Better he pin them than she shoot them.

"I'll only say this once. Turn yourselves in, or I'll kill you."

Roy had to admit, she did the Batman growl perfectly. The men laughed, and Roy pulled an arrow out of the quiver and onto the shelf of his bow. He pulled back as they turned to her, and he let go. The feeling of the veins of the arrow passing through his fingers was unparalleled, only surpassed by the feeling of holding his wife or children. The arrow struck down another man, and Jason rushed next to Cardinal.

Gloria pulled out the bow he had made her. It was collapsible, a pretty pink color, with a strong pullback. She laid her hand on his cheek, and Roy felt the warmth that signified her borrowing his talents. Her hair became the same coppery red as his, and they let down a flurry of arrows together, taking out a few. Robin and Cardinal kept to hand to hand combat, taking out the rest within minutes. But Roy still felt uneasy. This Cardinal was a wild card, even worse than Jason. At least he expected Jason to end badly, but this girl was just as dangerous. She knew exactly what she was doing.

Nightwing arrived as the police sirens started to fill the air. Roy was unimpressed with Richard's self tsking.

"Red Arrow and Mimic, it's been too long since I've seen you two." Richard tried to strike up conversation, but Red Arrow lifted his hand to stop.

"You're late, and you haven't bothered calling us about anything, and you missed the boys' last three birthdays." he said.

"Fine, I'll go. See you all later." Nightwing took his leave, and Roy heard Cardinal's sigh of relief. He figured that Richard would try to make a move on her.

The two younger heroes approached them, and they took to the alleyways, lest some cop find them.

"So, what brings you to Gotham City?" Jason started.

"The ball had us come. Ollie made us promise to be there." Red Arrow answered. "I'm just glad he made it a masquerade. How else were we supposed to let the boys miss trick or treating? We sure as hell weren't going to let them do it here. Crime rates are too high around here, no offense."

"None taken. How are those two anyways? I missed their last birthday party." Jason asked.

"They are fine. Oliver had a cold for a while, so it put me out of commission for a while." Gloria answered. She was always the one who volunteered to stay home for the boys. She figured the recognition of Red Arrow was needed.

"So how long has it been since you've seen Austria?" Cardinal asked, and Gloria gasped in delight. The girl had a talent for placing accents, she would give her that.

"How did you know where I am from, young Fraulein?" she clapped her hands together.

"The stress on your vowels is still there," Cardinal answered simply.

"Ah. Well, it's been quite a while. I've no need to be there, when I have all I want or need here, with my family." Mimic took hold of Red Arrow's hand, and he blushed beneath his domino mask.

"And how did you learn to arch so quickly?" Jason asked, curious to see the power in action.

"I take talents and abilities from those I touch, and use them to my advantage. Very simple. Robin, where is your Batman? Does he know you are out here on your own? Should we take you home?"

"No ma'am. Br- Batman has a penthouse on Finger and Fourth that we'll use tonight, then go home in the morning. Have a good night," Jason shook his head. The two youngsters saw them off, and they left down the alleyways, hand in hand.

They were glad that the tension was gone, and reveled in the quiet. A camera flash went off, and Roy flinched. Gloria giggled.

"I guess we'll be seeing ourselves in the paper tomorrow."

Sure enough, as they sipped their morning coffee, they saw their forms plastered across the crime section. 'Love among the Heroes seen once again' was printed beneath. Roy liked the picture, especially since it was not a reporter who had caught the picture, but a twenty year old woman named Linda Jennifer Park, who happened to be Wally's girlfriend, Jinx. She was a good reporter, and he saw a future in journalism for her.

"I guess it's back to Star City." Gloria smiled.

"Yep." Roy sipped his coffee. "We'll see them at Christmas, though. Bruce and I had an agreement. We're going to visit the rest of the Young Justice team and open presents. I think that'll be good for the boys."

"And the new baby," Gloria casually slid the comment in, but it wasn't past Roy's ears.

"What?" he gasped.

"We've got another one on the way."


	20. A Bittersweet moment

The months flew by, but December didn't bring the joy it was supposed to. The news of Jason's death came to them though Dick, who was trying very hard not to cry.

"He was so close to quitting the life. To getting married and settling down," Richard's sobs made his voice waver over the phone. "Bruce found the engagement ring in his utility belt." At that point, Richard broke down, letting all the emotion overwhelm him.

Gloria looked at the cross nailed to the wall over the phone. It was made of used matches, something that the boys had made in the backyard. Roy had a laugh when she lectured them about playing with matches. She sincerely hoped that Jason would be getting through the admissions process to the pearly gates, but she doubted it. None of them were really innocent. They all crossed lines once and a while, and Jason crossed it a lot. She remembered kicking his ass at one of the twins' birthday parties when he offered Ollie a cigarette. She had a long talk with Bruce after that one.

"It's going to be okay. I'm sure that he'll appear out of nowhere one day, fine and out of harm's way," Gloria tried to comfort him. "We had that Superman scare a couple of years ago-"

"That's just it, Gloria." Richard cut her off. "Superman can come back. But Jason? My God, he was just a boy in a spandex and latex suit. He was beat with a crowbar and blown up. We're human, Gloria. We don't even have special abilities like you do. We just die."

"Don't talk like that, Dick." Roy picked up the phone and shut it off of speaker so Gloria could go cry. He saw the tears welling up in her eyes. It looked like he would have to be strong for all three of them. "I don't have any powers, either. And you know what? I've survived seventeen explosions since I joined the team. Thirty two if you count since I've been Red Arrow, and seventy four if you count since I've been Speedy. Have some faith in Jason, Dick. I know he'll come back. Why don't you?"

"Because the Joker did it. And the Joker doesn't screw up an explosion. Ever." Richard sighed. "We're still on for Christmas. Just... just don't bring anything for Rozalin. She's not coming. Said something about bringing him his gifts."

"Alright. Richard?" Roy asked.

"Yes?"

"Take care of yourself. And tell Rozalin that we love her. She needs all the support she can get right now, and she can't have you crying all over the place."

"Alright, Roy. See you later." the ring tone hummed over the line, and Roy hung up the phone. It was not going to be a very good Christmas.

He had been right about Christmas. The entire team was in mourning. Jinx and Kid Flash hugged together to keep each other strong. Connor had taken to punching things, and Meg'ahn had decided she wasn't coming. She had chosen to stay in Australia, where she could go through a cleansing process.

Bruce and Richard had been the worst off. They didn't speak at all. They didn't open presents. They didn't eat anything. They just sat stoically on the couch. Roy and Gloria had to drag the boys away when they started asking why they were so sad on Christmas.

"Sometimes, it is better to leave it alone." Gloria crouched in front of the boys, meeting their eyes. "Batman and Nightwing are very sad because a member of their family had died very recently. So we are going to leave them alone, because they do not want to talk to people today."

"Oh." Ro-Ro nodded quickly. "I understand. Can I talk to Uncle Kaldur? I want to show him my new fish tank." He held up a plastic light up box with a revolving picture of fish inside.

"Yes. But don't be so loud. We use our inside voices, okay?" Roy sent the boy off. The pink ring in the boy's eyes dilating in excitement.

"I get it. Uncle Jason was really cool." Ollie got along better with Jason, so Gloria expected him to mourn a bit longer. Then the five year old dragged his new baseball bat towards Uncle Wally and Aunt Linda. He snuggled up in between them and dropped the bat. Ollie also had a thing for Aunt Linda. He often said that Aunt Linda was his girlfriend and that he would beat up Uncle Wally. They both knew it was a phase and laughed it off. But this time, they comforted the small boy. It was a bittersweet moment.


	21. Placid to panic, revelations to relation

Two months later, tragedy struck again, the Flash family this time. Barry Allen had became part of the Speed Force, and Wally had to take on the mantle of the Flash. It made Roy wonder about who was next. What would he do if Ollie was gone? He pushed away the thought whenever it reared its ugly head.

Instead, he focused on repainting the nursery, which was left empty after the boys insisted on taking the other bedroom. Gloria insisted on purple. No pink, because there was already so much pink in the family.

Every night, he would wash the lilac paint from his hands, kiss the boys goodnight, and told Gloria he loved her, kissed her, and went on patrol. For some reason, Artemis decided to tag along sometimes. He guessed she didn't like being the second oldest. Oliver Queen had found a new Speedy, a girl that had archery skills, and his biological son, who was proficient with throwing stars. Roy didn't mind the company.

His job had also become boring. He was usually wrapped up in Justice League missions. He knew it was only a matter of time before something terrible happened. At first, he didn't even know that anything was wrong. He tucked the twins into bed, kissed them goodnight, and went to the main bedroom to find that Gloria had left a note.

'Roy-

Out for a while. Come find me for a surprise. Promes thet us.

– Gloria'

He read the note, and noticed that the last sentence was nothing but gibberish. When he unfocused his eyes, the letters that jumped out at him spelled 'Prometheus.' A sinking feeling reached him, and he began to panic. The one man that struck fear into his heart.

The man that could kill his entire family. The man that killed Lian.

Gloria hoped Roy had seen the hidden message. He would know where to find her, hopefully. She sat very stiffly in the cushy chair that Prometheus had been kind enough to provide. He strutted about the room, knowing his power over her. She hadn't been able to touch him, so she couldn't outsmart him, or overpower him. In fact, he had taken precautions to be sure this didn't happen.

Her restraints weren't tight, but were enough to keep her in the chair. Prometheus brought another chair over, and sat backwards in it, facing her. He crossed his broad arms on the back of the chair, and rested his helmeted head upon it, it's dual flames glowing blue.

"Tell me, Mrs. Heinrich-Harper, how a beautiful model like you became so intent on family life? What do you miss the most? The looks men give you? The contracts? The no-strings-attached sex?"

"Screw you and your holier than thou attitude," Gloria spat.

"Ah-ah! Mustn't be like that for your surprise." Prometheus grinned behind his mouth guard.

He stood and strode over to a curtain, which he yanked away. The sight behind it frightened her.

"Did your husband ever tell you he wasn't the REAL Roy Harper? That he was a clone?" he laughed as he kicked the weakened man into a better light, so she could see him better.

His red hair was matted with blood. One of his blue eyes was so bruised, it had swollen shut. Lacerations littered his skin. But none of that was as bad as his missing right arm. His dominant hand.

"I give to you the truth," Prometheus beamed as the man on the floor gazed up at her. "I give you your real husband. The real Roy Harper."


	22. Past and Future mistakes,

"It's a lie," Gloria shook her head, angry at the scene before her. "My husband was tucking in our children. It was his turn to go out on patrol for psychos like you."

"Oh, I think you'll find that a lot of your life is not a lie, though you would most likely want it to be." Prometheus gave her a smarmy grin. "Like your early childhood, for example."

"Don't go there," Gloria warned. The Roy Harper on the floor looked up at her, confused.

"I have a wife?" he asked no one in particular. "I have children?"

"Oh, yes," Prometheus answered him. "Isn't she lovely? She's a lingerie model from Austria. She's given you two boys, and is about to give you another one in a few months. Do you know the gender of this one yet, Gloria?"

"Shut up. Don't say another word or I will rip your vocal cords out." Gloria warned in an animalistic voice.

"You can't do that unless you touch someone with the strength to do so, so I doubt that is a truthful threat." The villain shrugged, indifferent. "Now, back to your early childhood. Your father, a crime lord in Austria, had married one of his clients, and came up with you. How fitting. Her heroin centered lifestyle was too much for him, and he grew bored of both you and her."

"Stop it." Gloria glared daggers at him while he blissfully ignored her and continued.

"But that wasn't until after he had sold your young body to all of his best clients. That's why you took up a life of stripping and prancing about in your underwear, isn't it? Because it's what you know how to do."

"Please, no more," Gloria begged. The Roy on the floor looked at her with a mixture of pity and disgust. The two things she never wanted to see in her husband's face. "That's enough."

"You heard about his marriage to Angela Park, and the birth of his new beautiful baby girl Jennifer, and you just snapped." Prometheus smirked, and the reflection of her horror splayed across his visor. The flames that erupted from his helmet flickered excitedly, as if they knew what the rest of the story was. "So you started crimefighting, honing your talent stealing skills that you had inherited from your 'business tycoon' father. You befriended a young man by the name of Johann, or 'Plight', as the Justice League calls him."

"NO more!" Gloria struggled against her restraints, careful not to harm the baby.

"You tricked him into taking you to America, just for the weekend. Your baby half-sister was what, six?"

"STOP IT!" Gloria screeched, and Roy looked at her, shock apparent on his face.

"You touched him as you approached the Heinrich-Park residence." Prometheus leaned over and looked her in the eye through his visor. "You knew he had the ability to create small explosions that leave no residue, no evidence. You took the ability. By then, they had already divorced. Your father had already left the house, a miscalculation on your part. But Angela was there."

"No," Roy gasped. On the roof, his clone, the Roy Gloria had married, looked through the skylight in equal shock.

"Yes. Gloria Heinrich, you took that boy's dangerous ability, you entered the house, and you scrambled that woman's brains worse than scrambled eggs in the morning. And you left no trace for the police to follow. No one would suspect the woman who was supposedly in Austria, starting to get into the modeling business."

"Not another word, Prometheus." Gloria breathed, her voice a low growl.

"Oh, but I'm not even close to done." He stood straight and raised his voice in triumph, glad that he could get a rise out of the girl. "You weren't even done. You hunted down your absentee father, who had been so kind to leave his second daughter with her mother as well, minus the sexual slavery and the drug addiction, and you just shot him in the face with a shotgun. No striations to identify the gun, and since it was imported, you could just leave it with the local crackhead, and everyone would blame him. Genius, if I do say so myself."

"It wasn't like that," Gloria tried to appeal to the injured Roy, but Prometheus laughed.

"No? Then what was it like, to have his blood splash across your face? To watch Angela Park's face go slack with death? To feel the power flow through your veins?"

Red Arrow slid down from the skylight, his arrow pointed at Prometheus. The real Roy looked at him in confusion.

"Are you me?" he asked.

"Yes and no. I'm Roy Harper, husband of Gloria Heinrich-Harper, father of two boys. You are just Roy Harper, man who has been in captivity for several years."

"It… It was good." Gloria mumbled from behind her hair, her head bent down in submission.

"What was that, deary, I don't think everyone heard you." Prometheus offered, his hands up in surrender.

"I said…" her eyes glowed pink in a dangerous manner from the shadows created by her strawberry blonde hair. "It was good."

"Gloria…" Red Arrow held a hand out to stop her, but he was too late.

Prometheus' face turned to a mask of terror, and then his visor was painted red. Blood splashed over the floor, and his body slumped to the ground.

"No!" The Roys both looked at the scene in horror.

"Boys," Gloria stood from her snapped restraints. "I believe it is time we leave."

Red Arrow looked at her in a state of shock. This was not Mimic. It wasn't Gloria. This was someone completely different.

Author's Note: sorry this took so long to write. I had thrown out five versions of this chapter, but I finally settled upon this one. Now we see that Gloria has some deep dark secrets of her own. This connects heavily with the story that involves her half-sister, Linda/Jennifer Park, 'Dance of the Bad Luck Lovers'. I'm still working on that one, too. For you DC addicts, I've got lots of vague heroes for you! I've got one for Hawk and Dove, one for the Atom and the Green Lanterns, and even one for Watchmen! For those who love Deadpool from Marvel comics, I've got one for him, too! See how diverse I am? Just kidding, though I do have all those stories available. Take a look at my profile to peruse them all, and to keep up with updates if you don't want to have me on the update alert thing. Seriously, I know those things are annoying, especially if you don't like all the subjects that an author writes about.


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